"Take away is what the world is all about," explains Oladewa. "An artist takes his subjects, his themes, freely from the society without having to pay for them, so why not give back what you've taken? It's like you have this big pot and everybody is taking from it. No one is giving back or when people do give back, they give back for a price. I have decided to do the opposite."
More than just a form of spring cleaning, the show is a way to get Oladewa's name out and make his work accessible. The art is free, but if people feel compelled to pay something, they can drop a donation into a designated box. What can the public choose from? Originals and prints featuring delicate strokes, muted smudged colors, and sometimes-divided forms. In one series of paintings, the artist has even attempted to embody mathematical formulas.
For those who scoff at the ubiquity of a print and prefer only originals, Oladewa offers a rather postmodern response: "Every work of art or anything you pick up, even if it's a copy, is an original." And for those who find themselves vying with another art aficionado over what seems like the last of a particular piece, don't expect the artist to play referee. "It has to be the survival of the fittest," he laughs. "You have to fight for it! Whoever gets there first." If fisticuffs ensue, Oladewa won't be fazed. As he blithely notes, "That in itself is another form of artwork."
